Biographical
Dictionary of Mexican Film Performers "F"

Fabián [Fabián Aranza]: actor who had some second leads
in the 1970s (Mecánica nacional, La dinastia
Drácula), but has played mostly supporting roles--often
villainous--since. Not to be confused with the U.S. pop singer Fabian
(real name, Fabian Forte).

Fábregas, Virginia [María Barragán] (1870 or
'71?-1950): famous stage actress
of the late 19th and early 20th centuries (her professional stage debut
came in 1892) who made only a few film appearances, late in her career.
Her son Manuel Sánchez Navarro, grandson Manolo Fábregas,
and great-grandson Rafael Sánchez Navarro all followed her into the
acting profession.

Fábregas, Manolo (1921-1996): actor and theatrical producer,
known as "Señor Teatro" for his years of work as an actor,
producer, director and theatrical impresario. Fábregas was born on
15 July 1921 in Vigo, Spain. His real name was Manuel Sánchez
Navarro Schiller: his grandmother was the famous actress Virginia
Fábregas, his father--Manuel Sánchez Navarro--was an actor,
and his mother--Fanny Schiller--was also a well-known performer.
Manolo's first film role came in
1933, when he appeared with his father in Pecados de Amor. His
film career in earnest at the age of 20. He originally played supporting
roles, occasionally as someone's son or younger brother, or as a "male
ingenue" type, most often in dramatic films, but in the 1950s he moved up
to starring roles, often in comedies. At the end of decade he began to
devote most of his time to his theatrical endeavors and made only sporadic
film appearances afterwards. Fábregas was awarded a "Diosa de
Plata" by PECIME for his performance in Mecánica nacional.
His final film appearances were in the early 1980s, in the Televicine
productions Lagunilla, mi barrio and its sequel, Lagunilla
2. However, he continued to work on television and in the theatre
until May 1987, when he suffered a stroke that limited his activities,
although he stayed active in the theatrical world until his death of a
heart attack in February 1996. Several of his children are also actors,
notably Rafael Sánchez Navarro.

Faiad, Zulma: busty Argentine "vedette" (dancer, showgirl, actress)
who worked in Mexican films from the late '60s through the '70s, for
example La noche de los mil gatos and El ídolo (both
1970). She had been on-screen in Argentina as early as 1961, and is still
active there on the stage.

Fajardo, Eduardo [Eduardo Fajardo Martínez] (1918 or '24?--):
Fajardo was born in Spain and received his law degree there in 1945, but
never practiced this profession, instead choosing an acting career. He
worked in the theater and films in his native land before coming to Mexico
in 1953 under contract to Miguel Contreras Torres, who put him in his
first Mexican picture, Tehuantepec (this film was also made in an
English-language version, with Dan O'Herlihy in Fajardo's role). For the
rest of the decade and into the '60s Fajardo spent a significant amount of
time in Mexico, working in films and producing and directing stage plays.
Fajardo was often cast as unsympathetic characters, from outright villains
to snobbish and selfish husbands, etc.
By the mid-'60s, however, he was once again mostly working in Spain, and
he continued to appear in films there through the 1980s.

Falcón, Federico [Federico del Castillo] (1935-80): actor
brother of Eric del Castillo, in films from the '60s into the 1970s,
usually in secondary roles, sometimes villainous and sometimes
sympathetic.

Falcón, Rafael (?--1942): Argentine-born actor and singer,
occasional leading man in 1930s' films. Pleasant enough, but not
especially distinctive. Can be seen sharing the lead with future star
Jorge Negrete in 1938's Juntos pero no revueltos.

Fegan, Jorge (1931-1993): Ecuadorian actor who started working in
Mexican cinema in the mid-60s and racked up a very long list of credits
into the 1990s. Won an Ariel award towards the end of his career for
Rojo amanecer (1991).

Félix, María (1911 or '14?-2002): One of the great
personalities of Mexican cinema, María de los Angeles Félix
was born in Sonora, one of 16 children (12 surviving infancy). The family
later moved to Guadalajara; while they were living there, María met
and married Enrique Alvarez, at the time a traveling salesman for Max
Factor cosmetics. Félix and Alvarez had a son, future actor
Enrique Alvarez Félix, but the marriage soon broke up.
Félix traveled to Mexico City, where she was "discovered" by
Fernando Palacios. She made her film debut opposite Jorge Negrete in
1941's El peñon de las ánimas. Over the next 29
years, Félix was one of the top stars of Mexican cinema. After she
starred in the title role of Doña Bárbara (1943),
Félix was nicknamed "La Doña," a sobriquet she carries to
this day. She took home three Best Actress Arieles--for Enamorada
(1947), Río Escondido (1949), Doña Diabla
(1951)--and was nominated for El monje blanco (1946) and
Camelia (1955). Félix also made a fair number of films in
Europe during the late 1940s and 1950s. Her last film was La
generala (1970), after which she retired from the screen, although she
remains a conspicuous public figure, spending most of her time in Paris.
In addition to Enrique Alvarez, María Félix's husbands
included composer Agustín Lara and actor Jorge Negrete.

Fernández, Agustín (1920-1991): sinister-looking
brother of Emilio Fernández who had a fairly long career (to at
least 1989's La gallera) in minor roles as villainous henchmen.

Fernández, Claudia: young actress of the 1990s, won an Ariel
for her role opposite Vicente Fernández in Por tu maldito
amor (1991). Also in Bienvenido--Welcome, Sólo con
tu pareja, and Algunas nubes. Not to
be confused with actress Claudia Ramírez.

Fernández, Emilio: see DIRECTORS

Fernández, Esther (1917 or '20?-1999): leading lady of the
1930s and 1940s, on-screen from the age of 13. Worked steadily in films
into the 1950s; made a brief comeback in 1991 in Los años de
Greta, but ill-health forced her to retire once more . Briefly
married to Antonio Badú (they were a couple for more than six
years, but officially married only 18 months). She died of heart failure
on 21 October 1999.

Fernández, Fernando (1916-1999): singer/actor who achieved
his greatest success in cabaretera films of the late 1940s, where
he was often teamed with Meche Barba. After being rejected by the STPC
directors' union, he started working for STIC as a director at the
América studios. Fernández was severely burned in an
automobile accident in 1960 and had to undergo plastic surgery on his face
and hands, although he did take occasional acting roles later, including
one directed by his half-brother Jaime (such as El sinaloense,
1984). He was also in a number of movies directed by his step-brother and
cousin Emilio (Emilio's father married Fernando's mother after her first
husband died; her first husband was Fernando's father, who happened to be
Emilio's father's brother--is that clear?), such as Enamorada
(1946), Duelo en las montañas (1949), and El
crepúsculo de un dios (1968). Fernando Fernández died
on 24 November 1999.

Fernández, Freddy "El Pichi" (1934-1995): the
eternally-youthful "Pichi" made his screen debut in 1943, but shot to fame
as the eager teenage suitor of Evita Muñoz "Chachita" in
Nosotros los pobres and Ustedes los ricos. Most of his
roles, even into the 1980s, saw him playing similar characters
(Fernández and Muñoz later co-starred on a TV sitcom,
"Nostros los Gómez"), since his appearance changed little as he
aged. Fernández, who died of cancer in 1995 , received three Ariel
nominations in his career--Pepe el toro (1954), Con quien andan
nuestras hijas? (1957), and La ciudad de los niños
(1958).

Fernández, Jaime (1927-2005): actor, occasional director, and
long-time union executive (he also served in Mexico's legislature for 8
years). Took home three Arieles for acting--El rebozo de Soledad
(1952), La rebelión de los colgados ('54), and Robinson
Crusoe ('52). Fernández stopped directing in the '80s, but
then resumed his acting career, which continued into the 1990s. His
filmmaking brothers included Agustín and Rogelio Fernández
(Emilio and Fernando were his half-brothers). Fernández was
married twice, and has four children, including two who are performers and
one who is a producer.

Fernández, José Luis: balding, moustached, ubiquitous
character actor and stunt heavy, usually in Westerns, from the 1950s into
the '70s. This may be the same performer, nicknamed "El Bigotes," who was
a comic and acrobat in the carpa theatres. Born in Oaxaca.

Fernández, Pedro (1969--): Guadalajara-born singer and actor
who began appearing in films as a young boy in the late '70s, and
continued to make occasional appearances in action films into the early
'90s. Fernández's signature hit as an adolescent singer was "La
mochila azul" (The Blue Bookbag); he is chiefly a proponent of
ranchera singing. One of his younger brothers, Gerardito, is also
a singer. Pedro Fernández is married and has three
children. "Pedro Fernández" is not his real name, it is a
combination of "Pedro" (from Pedro Infante) and "Fernández" (from
Vicente Fernández).

Fernández, Rolando: actor husband of Rosa Gloria
Chagoyán, Rolando Fernández López is one of five
children of Raúl Fernández Fernández, who founded
Scope Films. Despite his nondescript appearance, Rolando often plays the
hero opposite his wife. Rolando's brother Raúl Fernández
López has directed most of the Chagoyán-Fernández
hits such as Lola la trailera and Juana la cubana.

Fernández, Vicente (1940--): one of the biggest stars of
1970s and 1980s Mexico, Vicente Fernández was born in
Huentitlán in the state of Jalisco. As a youth he had a variety of
jobs, but turned professional singer at the age of 21, appearing on local
TV in Guadalajara. He later moved to Mexico City, and after becoming a
success on TV and with his recordings, made his film debut in 1970. At
first he was cast in rancheras and urban, working-class comedy-dramas in
frank imitation of Pedro Infante, but he later appeared in some Westerns
and contemporary dramas (albeit with music) as well. Fernández,
married to the same woman since 1963, has three sons, the youngest of whom
(Alejandro Fernández) is a major singing star himself (Vicente and
Alejandro appeared together in the film Mi querido viejo (1991)).
Fernández's films include Picardia mexicana, Tacos al
carbón (his first), and La ley del monte.

Ferrara, Juan [ Juan Félix Guilmain] (1943--):
Dark-haired, sharp-featured actor from the 1960s on. Won an Ariel for his
role in Misterio (1981); he had previously received a nomination
for De todos modos, Juan te llamas (1976). Son of actress Ofelia
Guilmain. Still active in telenovelas.

Ferrer, Lupita: Venezuelan actress who came to Mexico in the '60s
and has appeared in a fair number of films. Also popular as a telenovela
actress, both in Mexico and her native country.

Ferreti, Diana: sexy but also rather mean-looking actress of the
'80s and '90s. Very prolific career in action films and "videohomes."

Ferriz, Miguel Angel (1899-1967): character actor who usually played
solid citizens, fathers, military officers, bankers, etc. His grandson
began acting in films in the 1970s, under the same name: Miguel Angel
Ferriz "nieto" [grandson, who died in 2013] garnered an Ariel nomination for El tonto que
hacia milagros (1984).

Fierro, Omar: telenovela leading man of the '80s and '90s. Some
film work as well, including Noches de ronda (1991) where, cast as
an impoverished composer, he was unfortunately forced to pretend he could
sing and play the piano.

Finance, Ernesto: (1891-1974): frog-faced character actor, on-screen
into the '60s. Also a union official.

Flores, Laura: Tamaulipas-born blonde actress and singer of the '80s
and '90s. Groomed by Televisa as a game-show hostess and
telenovela actress, but also makes records and film appearances.

Flores, Lola (1925 or '28?-1995): [Dolores Flores Ruiz] Spanish (born
in Cádiz) musical performer and actress. She made her film debut
in her native country in 1939 (some sources say '41), and was a major star
there for many years. She appeared in a number of Mexican films (and
co-productions) in the 1950s and 1960s, with stars like Antonio Aguilar
and Mauricio Garcés. She was married to musician and actor Antonio
González.

Flores, Salvador "Chava" (1920-1987): composer, singer, and sometimes
actor who was known for his popular songs about life in the big city
(Mexico City, where he was born). Flores wrote more than 300 songs in his
career, and made occasional film appearan ces from the 1950s into the
'80s. One of his best-remembered songs, "Dos horas de balazos" (Two Hours
of Gunshots), is about going to the movies to see a double feature of
Hollywood B-Westerns (the chorus is "Tom Mix, Buck Jones, Tim McCoy")!

Fornés, Rosita [Rosalía Palet Bonavía] (1921 or
'23?--): New York-born "vedette" (singer-dancer-actress) who grew up in
Cuba (her parents were Spanish emigrants). She made her singing debut
there on the radio at the age of 15, and started working in Mexican films
in 1945. She was married to comedian Manuel Medel for 4 years (their
daughter, Rosa María Medel, and her husband later made a
documentary about Rosita Fornés' life, Mis tres vidas).
Left Mexico in the late 1950s and returned to Cuba, where she supported
the revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power. She married again and
continued to work in Cuba on the stage, in films, and on TV.

Foronda, Pituka de (1920--): Canary Islands-born actress, had some
second leads in 1940s cinema, also appeared in some Cuban films of the
1930s and 1940s. Half-sister of Gustavo and Rubén Rojo.
Nominated for an Ariel for Sinfonía de una vida (1947).
Still active in telenovelas of the '90s such as "Marimar."

Fournier, Silvia (1937--): blonde actress of the 1960s, usually in
second-level features like Buenos días, Acapulco, with
Capulina and Viruta.

Frank, Consuelo (1912-1991): prolific leading lady of the 1930s who
shifted to character roles as she grew older. Active into the 1970s as
mothers, aunts, neighbors, etc.

Frausto, Antonio R. (1897-1954): character actor of the 1930s and
1940s, usually cast as a norteño. Also well-known for his
screen impersonations of Porfirio Díaz. He had the protagonist's
role in the early classic, Vámonos con
Pancho Villa! (1935).

Fuentes, Alma Delia (1937--): At the age of 4, Fuentes made her
debut in the Teatro Infantil de Bellas Artes. She made her screen debut
in 1945, but her most notable early role was in Buñuel's Los
olvidados. Fuentes won an Ariel award for Historia de un
corazón (1952) and was nominated again the following year for
Mi esposa y la otra (1953). She was then off-screen for a while,
but returned after a 1961 divorce, and continued to appear frequently in
films through the 1 960s. She has also run a ballet school in Mexico
City.

Fuentes, Miguel Angel: lantern-jawed actor, on-screen from at least
the early '80s. He can also be seen in some Hollywood films shot in Latin
America, such as Firewalker. After dropping out of sight for a
time, reappeared in Codicia mortal
('91).

Furió, Sonia [María Sonia Furió Flores]
(1937-1996): Spanish-born actress and dancer who emigrated to Mexico as a
child due to the Spanish Civil War (she later became a Mexican citizen).
Furió enrolled in the ANDA acting school run by Andrés Soler
and made her film debut in 1954. She was very popular in the latter half
of the decade (appearing in 22 films in 1956-58), but her film work
declined in the 1960s and she made her last screen appearance in 1975.
However, Furió continued to work steadily in radio and television;
her last professional work was on the telenovela "Con todo el alma,"
before she succumbed to pneumonia in December 1996.

Furlong, July (1939--): blonde actress, chiefly on-screen in the late
'60s and early '70s, mostly in "friend of the heroine" roles. She has
continued to work on TV into the '90s.

Furman, Rosa: character actress with rather European features (but
born in Mexico City), on-screen from the 1960s. Also on TV. Not to be
confused with Tamara Garina, who is somewhat similar in appearance and
plays the same sort of roles (they have even been in the same film several
times).